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Five families were evacuated from their homes after an underground gas line was found to be leaking. Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue officials said the families were evacuated at 7:23 p.m. Saturday at Pickwick Park. They were allowed to return a short time later, officials said. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

In the days he has remaining, Arthur Ray Brown has but one wish: to find a home for the unfinished wooden sailboat his father lovingly began crafting by hand six decades ago. "It means a lot to my heart. I'd like to see a good person get it before I go," said Brown, 63, whose life-sapping lung disease has him under 24-hour home hospice care. "I'm at the bottom line now. " Outside Brown's Fort Lauderdale mobile home, propped on stands under blue tarps, rests the 24-foot boat that represents his father's legacy.

William Hillebrand, an inmate at the North Broward Detention Center, died on Wednesday of chronic alcoholism, the Broward Medical Examiner`s Office said on Thursday. Hillebrand, 34, of Lauderhill, reportedly fell from his bunk about 3 a.m. on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Humana Hospital Bennett in Plantation. -- SALLIE JAMES

Thank you for your coverage of Bob Butterworth's outstanding tenure as secretary of the Florida Department of Children & Families. During the 30 years I've advocated for improved policies and programs serving our state's most vulnerable family members, there has never been a more powerful government presence for human services than Bob Butterworth. His 19-month tenure has been marked by an impressive series of strong positions, smart decisions and strategic actions that have resulted in meaningful progress on many fronts.

LAUDERDALE LAKES -- A teen-ager was shot during an argument outside his home late on Tuesday and died a short time later, the Broward Sheriff`s Office said. Frank Smith Jr., 17, died of multiple gunshot wounds, the Broward County Medical Examiner`s Office said. Smith had been confronted by several males in front of his home, in the 3500 block of Northwest 26th Street, before 11:30 p.m., the Sheriff`s Office reported.

A man accused of raping and robbing a woman six months ago was arrested on Wednesday after he implicated himself in statements to police, Broward Sheriff`s Office spokesman Jim Leljedal said. Jackson Cesar, 28, is accused of sexually assaulting a 33-year-old woman behind warehouses in the 2200 block of Southwest 30th Avenue in Pembroke Park, stealing her jewelry and several hundred dollars in cash, Leljedal said. The assailant, who was armed with a gun, attacked the woman after he and another man offered her a ride in October, Leljedal said.

More than 4,000 homes and businesses in Broward County lost power on Monday because stormy weather damaged power lines, officials of Florida Power & Light Co. said. About 2,900 customers in Plantation between Sunrise Boulevard, Northwest 11th Street, Northwest 65th Avenue and Northwest 78th Avenue lost power at 8 p.m. when a main power line fell, FPL supervisor John Riffle said. Power was restored by 9:30 p.m. he said. Another 1,000 customers near Port Everglades lost power at 5:35 p.m. when another main line fell, Riffle said.

Power was interrupted for 3,700 Florida Power & Light Co. customers in two neighborhoods when a substation transformer malfunctioned Thursday morning, company officials said. Tom Gallagher, FPL customer service supervisor, said electricity was cut from 7:20 to 8:20 a.m. to 2,700 customers between Sample and Copans roads and Northeast 15th Avenue and North Cypress Road. A second power outage, affecting 1,000 residents between Sample Road and Northeast 16th Street and Federal Highway and Northeast 10th Avenue, began at 8:05 a.m. and lasted 25 minutes, Gallagher said.

September 25, 2013 Q: I love the Heat nickname jersey idea. I actually hand made some Heat replica jerseys for myself and some friends during the NBA Finals. I wore "Birdman," others liked "King James," "Super Mario," "U.D.," "Shuttlesworth. " -- Cyrus, Phoenix. A: I'm surprised that a Pat Riley team would indulge in such a look-at-me promotion. For a team that stresses it being all about sacrifice, about the name on the front of the jersey, any turn toward self-promotion seems out of place, not exactly part of the "Heat culture.

Thank you for your coverage of Bob Butterworth's outstanding tenure as secretary of the Florida Department of Children & Families. During the 30 years I've advocated for improved policies and programs serving our state's most vulnerable family members, there has never been a more powerful government presence for human services than Bob Butterworth. His 19-month tenure has been marked by an impressive series of strong positions, smart decisions and strategic actions that have resulted in meaningful progress on many fronts.

Broward County's 1,350 traffic signals were out of sync for up to 45 minutes Monday afternoon after a computer that sets signal timing crashed. The computer lets motorists hit a steady stream of green lights on major roads during key commuting times. When it fails, drivers hit a string of red lights, or wait longer for turn signals onto side streets. Jihad El Eid, the county's director of traffic engineering, said the problem was fixed by evening rush hour. During the crash, the central computer would not send commands to signals in the field.

Few of us will have the opportunity to see the bedchamber of Louis XIV in Versailles. We're even less likely to be invited to the Palace of Marrakech in Morocco. And we'll never get to ride in the royal carriage that transported Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on their wedding day. But we can see the opulent fabrics that were woven for these palatial spots as part of the "

This season there is added incentive for Alondra Cooper of Suncoast. Since she started running track as a freshman, she always had another year to improve and collect more record times and state titles. This year, as a senior committed to the University of Illinois, she realizes this is her final chance to put the finishing touches on an already distinguished high school track career. The three-time 800-meter state champion and national age group champion -- also versatile in the 100 hurdles, which she has also won a state title in, the long jump and triple jump -- would like to go out a state champion again and see the girls' program win another team title.

A Lake Worth family of five slaughtered. Two bodies found in garbage bags floating in a canal. Three restaurant workers executed. Law enforcement officials say the final week of September 2002 has been the deadliest seven days of criminal violence in the history of Palm Beach County, with 10 people victims of murder. "That pretty much sets a record for us in a one-week period on homicides only," said Tony Mead, an investigative supervisor with the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office.

What is quick-cooking, lean, lends itself to a variety of preparations and is as close to foolproof as you get without hiring a chef to do the cooking? The answer? (Hint: It is not boneless, skinless chicken breast.) It's pork tenderloin. You can cut it into medallions and saute it. Stir-fry it, broil it, roast it or grill it. Or cut it into chunks for kebabs. Just about any way you cook it, it's done in 25 minutes or less. One more advantage: It is sometimes sold in vacuum-packed bags, so it can be stored for weeks in the refrigerator.

Dear Dale: I have a friend who was married for 20 some odd years and divorced. The man she was married to is still alive. Since then, she was married and widowed twice. One marriage lasted 21/2 years and the other 31/2 years. She is 66 and would like to collect Social Security. Can she collect on her first husband whom she divorced, even though she was married and widowed twice? Or can she collect on one of the men who died? I thought I read somewhere that you have to be married 10 years in order to collect.

Dear Dale: I have a friend who was married for 20 some odd years and divorced. The man she was married to is still alive. Since then, she was married and widowed twice. One marriage lasted 21/2 years and the other 31/2 years. She is 66 and would like to collect Social Security. Can she collect on her first husband whom she divorced, even though she was married and widowed twice? Or can she collect on one of the men who died? I thought I read somewhere that you have to be married 10 years in order to collect.

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Angeliki Kanellopoulou has the longest name in tennis. Jennifer Capriati, however, made short work of her Wednesday. Capriati routed Kanellopoulou 6-1, 6-3 in 53 minutes to move into the third round of the Family Circle Cup, where today she faces French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez. "I`ll be pumped," Capriati said. "She won the French Open, she beat Steffi Graf, she`s in the Top 10. I know she`s going to be good." "I`ve been waiting for this one," said Stefano Capriati, Jennifer`s father and coach.

Tat-a-tat-tat. This time out, Chris Rock's subjects match his rhythmic, staccato style: guns, crazy people, Columbine. "It's like everybody's trying to find a reason for the shootings," he says. "Whatever happened to crazy? No one factors in crazy anymore. `There's a reason for everything.' No, there's not. Crazy needs no reason." Rock, 33 and on top of the world, is riffing on a question about what topics he'll cover in his new HBO stand-up special, Bigger & Blacker, premiering July 10. He appears Saturday at the Sunrise Musical Theatre.

Now that the final out of the first homestand has been recorded, I think I speak for all Marlins fans in asking: Is the game over yet? I'm not suggesting Marlin games aren't entertaining. I'm saying that with this young pitching staff they're lo-o-ong. Monday's lasted three hours and 12 minutes, or five minutes shorter than Titanic. (Insert joke here.) If this continues, ushers should come around, put chocolate on fans' seats and offer turn-down service. (Ba-da-boom). The seventh-inning stretch won't be a song, it'll be a wake-up call.